Masonry restoration in Hoover AL - new mortar that matches your old brick
Crumbling joints or cracks in your brick? We repair the mortar that's failing, match it to what's there, and leave the sound joints alone.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
The masonry restoration work we do
Repointing failing joints
We rake out mortar that's crumbling, worn back or cracked and pack in new mortar, so the wall stays tight and the brick around it stays sound.
Cleaning brick and stone
For brick or stone that's sound but dark with grime or old stains, a careful wash brings back the color so new mortar can be matched to it.
Does my brick need masonry restoration or just a few joints fixed?
Masonry restoration in Hoover usually comes down to repointing, which means taking worn mortar out of the joints in a brick or stone wall and putting new mortar in, plus a careful cleaning where the wall needs one, so the wall holds up and still looks like it belongs to your house.
Most calls start with something you've noticed, like mortar that crumbles under a fingernail, joints sunk back from the face of the brick or a thin crack running along a wall, and now and then the trouble is in the brick itself, which is brick repair instead. The price turns on how many joints are really failing, how high and easy to reach the wall is, whether it needs cleaning and how hard the old mortar is to match, and the schedule turns on how much wall there is and what the city or county needs before we start. I'll put a number to your wall once I've seen it in person.
Masonry restoration, from first look to finished wall
I decide what your wall needs by looking at it joint by joint, not by the square foot, because you should pay for the mortar that's failing and nothing that's still doing its job.
Marking the failing joints
We walk the wall and mark only the joints that are actually failing, so the sound original mortar stays right where it is.
Washing only as hard as needed
We start with the gentlest wash that gets the wall clean, since grit blasting and grinders usually strip some brick face with the dirt.
Repointing to match
We rake out each marked joint and pack in new mortar matched to the old in color and texture, so the repair blends in.
Fireplace brick and stone faces
Fireplace brick and stone faces get the same care, and when one's past repair we can do fireplace installation or stone veneer installation.
Why homeowners choose Caliber Hoover Concrete and Masonry
I learned masonry on a city crew patching old brick on public buildings that had to pass inspection, and I started this business in Hoover in 2021 to bring that same by-the-book work home. We don't hurry the parts nobody sees, because you're the one living with the wall.
The owner looks at your wall
I come out myself to look at the wall and give the estimate, then I run the work on site with our crew, so the person who priced it is there doing it.
Licensed and insured, and glad to show it
We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask for proof of both when I come out, before you decide anything about the job.
You'll know what you're paying for
Before we start, I walk you through which joints are failing, which can wait and why, so you're paying for the work your wall needs and nothing extra.
How does a masonry restoration job in Hoover get started?
We plan the work around your wall and your house, starting from what you've noticed and what you want done, so nothing gets priced or scheduled until I've seen it in person.
or call (205) 236-6688
Call or send a message
Call (205) 236-6688 or send us a message, and tell us which wall it is and what you've noticed in the mortar or brick.
I come out and look
I come out myself to look at the wall, measure it and talk through what you want, including which joints can safely wait.
Your estimate, then the work
You get your estimate. If you hire us, we handle what the city or county needs, I run the work on site, and we walk the finished wall together.
Get an estimate for repointing and masonry restoration in Hoover
Send photos of the worn joints, where the wall sits on your house and any cracks you've seen, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out and give you a free estimate, with no obligation.
Questions about repointing old brick
Do all my mortar joints need repointing?
No, only the joints that are failing need repointing. Brick industry guidance names those as mortar worn back more than 1/4 inch, crumbling mortar, mortar with holes in it, hairline cracks and cracks where the brick meets the mortar. Sound original joints are better left alone than replaced, so you can ask for just the failing ones to be fixed.
How do I know if cracks in my brick wall need fixing right away?
Cracked or worn mortar doesn't always need fixing right away, because cavity and veneer walls, where the brick has an air space behind it, can handle the bit of extra moisture minor cracks let in. I'm glad to tell you when a crack can wait. Structural cracks are different, and they often need a proper investigation to find the cause and the right repair.
What mortar should go in my old brick wall?
New mortar should be about as strong as the original or weaker, because mortar that's too hard can damage the brick in a way that can't be repaired. Mortar also has to let moisture work out of the wall and dry, or the brick or stone takes the damage instead. Ask any mason what mix they plan to use and how it compares to yours before the work starts.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the brick itself may well last more than 100, depending on how exposed the wall is and the mortar used. Since the brick outlives its mortar, it makes sense to plan on repointing every so often over the life of the wall.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Hoover?
I can't give you an honest number before seeing your wall, so your price comes from the estimate I give at your house. Repointing is slow hand work, which is why fixing only the failing joints instead of the whole wall usually makes the biggest difference. Call (205) 236-6688 or email sales@hooverconcreteandmasonry.com to set up a visit.
What is the best way to clean old brick without damaging it?
The best way is to start with very low water pressure, 100 psi or less, even a garden hose, and go higher only as the dirt calls for it, generally no more than 300 to 400 psi, according to preservation guidance for older masonry. Gentle water leaves the face of the brick on the wall, which blasting tends to take off.
Other brick and stone work we do
Fireplace installation
If the brick around your fireplace is past saving, or you'd like one where there isn't one, we build a new firebox and surround to fit.
Explore Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer, a thin layer of stone set over an existing wall, gives a plain or tired surface a new face without rebuilding the wall behind it.
Explore Stone veneer installationBrick repair
When a few bricks are cracked, flaking or loose, we cut them out and set matching ones in, so a small problem stays small.
Explore Brick repair
What Hoover asks for before masonry restoration starts
Hoover requires a residential building permit before any construction starts, but the city's list names new construction, additions and interior and exterior remodels, not masonry restoration, so whether your job needs one isn't settled until someone asks. Before we start, we check with the city or county office for your address, and when a permit is required we handle it with them. The city also requires every contractor and subcontractor on a job to hold a City of Hoover license plus whatever state license the work calls for, and the state's home builders licensure board treats anyone repairing or improving a home as a residential home builder once the job tops $10,000 in labor and materials, unless the work falls outside the board's reach, so it's worth asking any mason you're considering about both.
We're based in Hoover and work across the Birmingham area, and the calls are much the same from one city to the next, brick houses whose joints have worn back over the years and walls patched at some point with mortar that doesn't match. We see the same kinds of houses on jobs in Vestavia Hills and Homewood, and we work joint by joint there too.